Cairo to Capetown

Well, it’s been over a month and a half since I packed up my last 3 years and said goodbye to Cairo. In being positively reflective, I have made a lot of friends and memories, have worked with some great people and taught some great students that I truly believe have the power to impact their country. There are definitely a few things I will NOT miss, but for the most part, I have a lot to be thankful for and will reflect fondly on my time in Egypt. I know I am not done digesting all that I learned and the ways I grew (or digressed), but all that will come in time.

I arrived in Cape Town in time to catch the world cup vibe and to attend a quarter final match (Argentina vs. Germany). Between Egypt and South Africa, this was by far the best world cup experience I could have asked for. I am convinced that the World Cup was meant to be best enjoyed on African soil. It was incredible to be surrounded by people from all over the world, all sharing the passion for the game of soccer. Looking back, it blows me away to think that when I was a little 5 year old on the soccer field, doing pirouettes and picking flowers, I was developing a passion for something that has connected me to people all over the world and has been the start to many unlikely relationships. It really is far more than a sport.

So, aside from watching the World Cup, I pretty much hit the ground running at Bridges Academy. I’ve been teaching 3 different classes – Grade 8 Natural Science, Grade 9 Natural Science, and Grade 11 and 12 Maths Literacy (although my spell-check underlines “Maths” in red squiggles, it is indeed correct). I’ve also been coaching soccer and leading a discipleship group. There are about 50 students at the school from 6^th grade through 12^th grade.

The staff here is great. Most are native South Africans, and there is one other couple from the states that are here as full-time volunteers. There has also been a fun group of temporary volunteers along the way – Aaron, from Westmont who was here until the beginning of July, Maia from Canada, who flew in the day I got here, Emily from Southern California, who got here a couple weeks later and is leaving this weekend, and Leeanne who is a native South African, but volunteering for this term. We have had a great time together and have likened our friendships to a mass arranged marriage that somehow worked out perfectly! Thanks to Maia and Leeanne’s connections to the area, we have been invited to some local braais (barbecues) with friends, have gone to a rugby match, had some nice drives up the coast to see penguins and whales (not at the same time), and have had some lovely wine tasting adventures. There have also been two church groups from the states that came to help out at the Academy and in the townships – a team from Community Covenant Church in Goleta (where I went in college), and Rockharbor church (where I went during grad school). They have been great and have helped out a ton in organizing activities for the Academy students and giving the teachers some time to prepare and have a bit of a break. It has also been great to get to know some of the members of the teams and build some new friendships.

I wish I could say it has been an easy transition and that the students at the school have been overwhelmingly welcoming and loving, but in reality, it’s been tougher than I expected. It has actually been a pretty slow process of getting to know the kids and earning their trust. I have to keep reminding myself that these kids have been through far more hurt in their lives than I will probably ever experience. All the students at the academy are orphaned, most due to their parents dying of HIV/AIDS. Some have HIV themselves. They have grown up in the townships of the Cape Flats, one of the most dangerous slum areas in the world. Some have experienced violence, rape, pregnancy, death of friends and family, and many other forms of hurt in their lives. On top of this, add the racial tension that still exists in South Africa in the wake of Apartheid. Like I said, it is a process and my relationships with the kids are slowly starting to deepen and grow. It is a strange dynamic to be both teacher/disciplinarian and mentor. Teaching is becoming easier, and I’ve been able to slowly get to know more and more of the kids. It was very discouraging at first, but things are definitely picking up. I’m still convinced that this is where I am supposed to be, and know that God has brought me here to love these kids and help provide them with an education that can help them to break the cycle they have grown up in.

Well, there is more to be said, but I’ll cut it here with some prayer requests. I would definitely appreciate your prayers for these things:

· Wisdom and creativity in teaching – it is always tough to start new with a class or group of kids. Please pray for me to know how best to teach them in a way that makes sense, and to build skills through my teaching that will help them later in life.

· My relationship with the students – Please pray that the students would open up in trust and that relationships would continue to be built.

· The attitude students’ toward HIV/AIDS – there is still a huge stigma against HIV/AIDS in the communities where the kids are from, making it so that many students do not want to find out if they have it, or once they find out are afraid to tell anyone. We are trying to change this at the school but need wisdom in knowing how to best do this so that we can get the students the medication and support they need.

· Post-Rockharbor team– The Rockharbor team is currently here, and the kids are having a great time. We’re a little worried that the kids will have a hard time settling back down after the team is gone and resent having to jump back into working hard. Pray that the dynamic between teachers and students doesn’t digress, but that we can continue working hard and building relationships.

· Financial Support – I’ve been able to raise quite a bit of support, but am still far from what I will need for a year here. Pray that these finances will be provided and that I will find creative ways to raise money.

If anyone wants to see pictures of the school or kids, check out the website: http://www.bridgesworldwide.org/

Click on the adorable girl on the page to see some of our students!

Hopefully I’ll get a chance to see most of you in the next couple months! I’ll be in Cairo for a week on the way home in the middle of September, and will be back in California from October through the beginning of January before I head back to South Africa for the next school year.